Main stock indices declined last week, with the VN-Index on the HCM Stock Exchange being down 0.3 per cent for the entire week, standing at 684.8 points, while the HNX-Index on the Hà Nội Stock Exchange closed down 1.5 per cent at 84.2 points.

Liquidity was mixed on the two exchanges.

The daily trading volume on the HCM City’s exchange reached 130.5 million shares, valued at nearly VNĐ2.5 trillion (US$112 million) per session, down over 9 per cent in both volume and value compared to the previous week’s figures.

However, volume on the Hà Nội’s bourse was up 10.7 per cent over the previous week, averaging 45.5 million shares, worth VNĐ449.4 billion per session.

Continuous releases on third-quarter earnings of companies and rising oil prices in the world markets could not help the VN-Index surpass the short-term peak of 690 points, when many large-cap stocks lost momentum under profit-taking selling pressure as the index nears the peak.

“This is the fourth trading week that the VN-Index has failed to conquer the 690 points landmark, and investors became impatient and increased selling in the weekend session,” analysts at BIDV Securities Company wrote in a report.

Meanwhile, cash flows shifted from low valued stocks to those which posted positive earnings results, they said, and forecast that this trend would likely continue this week.

Some 316 companies on the two exchanges have reported their third-quarter earnings, according to preliminary statistics compiled by BIDV Securities Company. However, total values of net profits fell 17 per cent from the same period last year, mainly due to strong declines in profits of PV Gas and PetroVietnam Fertiliser & Chemicals Corporation (DPM).

PV Gas earned net profits of VNĐ986 billion in the past three months, down 60 per cent from the same period last year, while net profits of PetroVietnam’s fertiliser company also dropped 50 per cent year-on-year, reaching only VNĐ210 billion.

Stock prices of GAS slipped 2.5 per cent for the week and DPM inched down just 0.4 per cent.

On the other end of the spectrum, construction, steel-making and seafood processing companies performed well. Stocks of these companies, including Hòa Phát Group (HPG), Hoa Sen Group (HPG), Hùng Vương Joint Stock Corporation and Hà Tiên 1 Cement Joint Stock Company (HT1), increased 3 per cent to 11 per cent.

Almost 400 companies will publish their earnings reports in the coming weeks, which are expected to affect the VN-Index.

“Blue chips with unannounced solid third-quarter earnings and oil-gas stocks (if oil prices surpass the peak at $52 per barrel) are expected to support the VN-Index to surpass the peak of 690 points,” said Trần Hoàng Yến, an analyst at Bảo Việt Securities Co.

Foreign investors shifted from being net buyers in the previous week to net sellers this week, when selling out in four of five trading sessions, for a value of nearly VNĐ94 billion. They bought shares for a total net buy value of VNĐ392 billion in the previous week. – VNS